Lumber-marking device.



I. G. McDONOUGH.

LUMBER MARKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED 1AN.|9,1918.

1,288,084:. I Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

S'SHEETSL-SHEET 'l I. G. McDONOUGH.

LuMBER MARKING DEvlcE.

1. (MCDONOUGH.

LUMBER MARKING DEVICE.

APPLlcATloN HLED 1AN.19. 1916.

1,288,084. Panted De@.17,1918.

3 SHEETS'-SHEET 3.

JOSEPH GILBERT MODONUGH, OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN.

LUMBER-MARKING DEVICE.

Specfication of Letters Patent.

rat-emma nec. 1a, rate.

Application filed January 19, 1916. Serial No. 73,036.

T0 aZZ 'witam it mafz/ concern Be it known that I, JosEPH G. McDoN-OUGH, citizen of the United States, resident of Eau Claire, county ofEau Claire, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lumber-Marking Devices, of which the following is aspecification. i

The obj ect of my invention is to provide a lumber` marking devicedesigned particularly for use in connection with a lumber trimmer andadapted for marking lumberof varying thickness. i

A further object is to provide a. marking device equipped with means forinsuring the proper mar-king of the lumber, regardless of anyaccumulation of sap or pitch thereon.

A further object is to provide a marking device adapted for markinglumber of varying length.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the' following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a lumber trimmer with myinvention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a plan section of a portion of one end of the machine, showingthe marking device,

Fig. 4 is a Vertical sectional view through the marking device.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, showing the marking device inoperation,

Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing the face of the marking device,

Fig. 7 is a plan view, showing the means for holding the lumber againstthe marking drawings forming device,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view, showing the means for holding the lumberagainst up-.

Ward tilting during the marking operation.

In the drawing, 2 represents the table of the lumber trimmer 'and 3 thetrimmer saws, having their arbors supported upon .suitable arms 4 abovethe table, as usual in machines of this kind. 5 is a frame, mounted onor adjacent to the trimmer frame and having bearings for a shaft 6 whichsupports the lumber feed belts 7. A drive shaft 8 is mounted in bearingson the frame 5, parallel with the shaft 6 and -is connected by feedbelts 9 with the shaft 6. These belts 9 receive the lumber from thebelts 7 after it passes the saws. On this'shaft 8 I mount a group oftilting members 10, each consisting preferably of a casting that isforked on one side and held in place against movement lengthwise of theshaft by plates 11 which fit in between the'arms of the fork and aresecurely bolted to'the shaft. Each of these members has an upperdownwardly and inwardly inclined surface 12 in the path ofthe lumber asit is brought along by the feeding chains 9 and if the lumber happens tobe too long to drop down against the edge of the tilting member, it willride over the top thereof, being directed by the inclined surface 12. o

As shown in Fig. 1, there are a group of these members, interposedbetween the feed chains opposite the trimmer saws and adapted to engagethe varying lengths of lumber. Should' a longer piece be delivered fromthe trimmer, with its ends trimmed by the outer saw, it will engage theend of the outertilting member and ride over the others.

Each member, in addition to the inclined surface 12, is provided with aninclined surface 13 in a plane at right angles substantially to thesurface 12 and formed on the edge of the member, Operating as a guide todirect the piece of lumber between the member and the marking device.These tilting members are vieldingly held by means of links 14 pivotallyconnected therewith at their upper ends and to levers 14' at their lowerends, said levers being pivoted intermediate to their ends in the frame5 and provided 'with weights 15 which operate to hold the tiltingmembers upwardly against the weight of the lumber passing thereover. Iprefer to provide stops 15' in the path of the levers 14', as'indicatedin Fig. 2, to limit the downward tilt of the lever.

Above each tilting member I provide an arm 15" pivoted at 16 and havinga lower end 17 that is adapted to rest on the top of the lumber andprovided with a lever 18 on which a weight 19 is mounted for holding thearm 15V down upon the lumber With a vielding pressure. A flexibleconnection 21 is attached to the lever 18 for limiting' the downwardtravel of the arm 15".

At one end of the machine is a bar 22 pivvhaving seats 27 formed oted at23 and having a loose bearing at 2% on the projecting end of the shaft8, said bearing being free to slide on said shaft and normally heldagainst outward movement. by a helical spring 25 that is coiled on saidshaft. The bearing plates 11 at the end of the shaft serve as stops tolimit 'the movement of the bar and its bearing 24.

Upon this arm a-frame 26 is mounted, therein to receive brackets 28 on acasting 29. This casting has a Vertical bearing 30 for a tube 31 on theupper end of which a hollow cylindrical hub 32 is mounted. Beneath thecasting 29 on the tube 31 is a collar 30', which holds the casting inits raised position in the frame 22. The lower end of said tube isinserted into a cylinder 33 having a packing 34 at one end in which saidtube is slidable and provided with a steam chamberv 35 communicatingwith a steam supply pipe 36.` A pipe 37 leads from the supply pipe 36 upthrough the tube 31 into a hollow head 32 for delivering steam theretoand heating the walls of said head, and an exhaust pipe 38 leads fromthe lower end of the cylinder for conducting away the water ofcondensation.

The cylinder 33 has pivot pins 33' formed thereon, journaled in bearings011 the frame of the machine to allow the cylinder to oscillate with thetube 31 during the passage of the lumber`l past the marking device.

The outer face of the head 32 has marks or characters 39 formed thereonand, as indicated in Fig. 6, 1 prefer to provide a comparatively wideface on the head and arrange three groups or series of marks thereon,one at the bottom, one in the middle and one at the top of the head,thereby adapting the device for lumber of varying thickness. Forinstance, the group of marks at the bottom of the head will engage theend of an ordinary board. The first and second groups will mark a twoinch plank and a three inch plank would be marked by all of the groups.

The hub of the head 32 rests on the bearing 30 and its seats in theframe 26 and is normally held in its raised position by means of a leveretO having one end fitting between collars ll on the sleeve and providedwith a weight l2. A stop 42' is mounted in the path of the lever 40 forlimiting its downward movement.

The casting 29 is provided with an inclined face 43 in the path of themoving lumber, the end of the piece of lumber contacting with thissurface and sliding thereon toward the niarking die. The pressure of thelumber on the face 43 will be sufiicient to force the bar 22 outwardlyagainst the tension of the spring 25 and allow the end of the lumber toslide past the inclined face and engage the face of the die. VVhen thethe casting 29 is free to slide in Leeapse marks on the die contact Withthe end of the y lumber, the die will be revolved and sufficientpressure will be exerted thereon through the spring 25 to force thecharacters formed on the die into the end of the lumber and make alegible brand thereon, which will be repeated entirely across the pieceof lumber. n case, therefore, la portion of the end of a piece oflumber. should be of such a nature that a legible brand could not beimpressed thereon, tion of the brand along the inner end of the lumberwould insure a legible mark at some point thereon. If for any reasonapiece of lumber should approach the branding device untrimmed, or betoo long to slide on the surface 43, it will contact with an inclinedsurface 4:4: on the top of the casting 29 and i'iding up thereon, causethe casting 29, with the branding device supported thereby, to bedepressed against the pull of the weight 42 and thereby the lumber willbe carried over the branding mechanism without clogging the feed of themachine or breaking the branding device.

lWith this apparatus, lumber of varying thickness can be easily andquickly branded and the cylindrical die will insure a legible marking atsome point on the end of the lumber, and in case a piece of lumber toolong to be engaged by the brander should be brought up bv the feedChains, it will the rep'eticontact with the inclined surfaces of theguides and be directed thereby over the branding device without causingdamage thereto. l

n various ways the details of construction herein shown and describedmay be modified and still be within the scope of my invention.

claiinas my invention:

1. The combination, with belts for moving pieces of lumber of differentlength, of a branding device mounted to contact with one end of thepieces of varying length and yielding under the pressure of the lumberthereon, and means at the opposite end of the pieces of lumber ofdifi'erent length for engaging and holding them against said brandingdevice. I

2. The combination, with means for moving lumber, of a branding devicemounted to contact with one end of the lumber and a guide at theopposite end of the lumber having a face for contacting with the lumberand holding it against said branding device, said guide also having asurface arranged at an angle to the direction of movement of the lumberfor guiding it to said contacting face.

3. The combination, With a means for moving lumber, of a branding devicemounted to contact With one end of the lumber, a tilting guide providedat the opposite ends of the lumber and having a ,face

for contacting With the lumber and holding it against. said brandingdevice, said guide tiltingdownwardly under the Weight of a piece oflumber that is too long to contact with said face.

4:. The combination, With means for feeding lumber, of a branding devicemounted to contact with one end' ofthe lumber and a plurality of guideshaving faces for 'contacting With the other end of the lumber to hold itagainst said branding device, said guides being mounted to swingdownwardly under the weight of a piece of lumber that is too long tocontact With the face of the guide.

5. Thecombination, With means for moving lumber, of a branding devicemounted to contact With the end of the moving lumber, said brandingdevice revolving under contact of the lumber therewith and having acylindrical branding face of a depth equal to the thickest piece oflumber to be branded, said branding face having annular rows of brandingdies formed thereon at the bottom, in the middle and at the top of saidbranding face, said dies engaging the ends of the pieces of lumber andsinking the mark therein.

6. The combination, With means for moving lumber, of a revolvingbranding device, a member Wherein said branding device is mounted, saidmember having an inclined face positioned to contact with the end of thelumber and With said branding device, said member being mounted to yieldunder the pressure of the lumber on said inclined face.

7. The combination, with -means for feeding lumber, of a pivoted bar, abranding device mounted thereon in the path of the end of'the lumber,said branding device being revolved by the engagement of the lumbertherewith, means for holding pieces of lumber of different length incontact With said branding device, and means for yieldingly resistingthe movement of said bar through the pressure of the lumber on saidbranding device.

8. The combination, with means for moving pieces of lumber of varyinglength, of a branding head having peripheral marks or characters forbranding the transverse end Surfaces of said pieces of lumber, means forheating the characters on said head, and means for holding the pieces oflumber of varyingl length for branding the marks thereon.

9. The combination, with means for moving pieces of lumber of varyinglength, of

having peripheral marks branding the transverse of lumber, and

a branding head or characters for end surfaces of said pieces means forholding the pieces of lumber ofV varying length for branding the inarksthereon, said head having a hollow spindle direct it into 'engagement--marked into contact for delivering steam thereto for'heating thecharacters on said head.

10. The combination, With means for moving pieces of lumber of differentlength, of a branding head having `a face' provided With marks orcharacters for'making impressions on the transverse end surfaces of suchpieces of lumber, said head yielding under pressure of the lumberthereon, means for heating said head and the branding charactersthereon, and means for holding the pieces of lumber of varying lengthagainst longitudinal movement.

11. The combination, With means for moving lumber, of a branding headcylindrical in form having peripheral marksor characters for brandingthe trimmed ends of the pieces of lumber, said head revolving in theplane of the lumber and through contact therewith, means for heating thecharacters on the face of said' head and means for holding the ends ofthe pieces of lumber of varyinglength against said face for branding themarks in said ends.

12. The combination, .With means for moving lumber, of a branding devicemounted to contact With one end of the trimmed lumber, an oscillatingguide provided at the opposite end of the lumber and having a face forcontacting vith the lumber and holding it against said branding device,said guide moving to an inoperative position under the pressure of apiece of lumber that is too long to contact With said face.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of feedingmeans adapted to move a board horizontally, marking means adapted tocoperate With a vertical edge of the board during its feeding movement,and means effective to cam a board toward the marking means during thefeeding movement.

lLzThe combination, with a feeding means adapted to move pieces oflumber or timber horizontally, of a marking means adapted to coperatewith the Vertical edge of the lumber or timber during its feedingmovement, and means engaging the lumber or timber for directing thesurface to be With said marking means.

15. The combination, With a feeding means adapted to move pieces oflumber or timber, of means for placing an identifying mark on a surfaceof the lumber .or timber during its feeding movement, and means thelumber or timber for direct-ing the surface to be marked into contactWith said identifying means and means for heating said identifyingmeans.

16.v The combination, With means forv moving pieces of lumber of varyinglength, of a branding head for applving identifying marks or charactersto vertical surfaces of said pieces of lumber, means for heatingmeepeeor timbez', of means for moving' the pie'ces to be markedhorizontally and longtudinally into contact with said marking means.

n witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of J an.,1916.

v JOSEPH GILBERT MGDONOUGH.

Witnesses:

ANNA KNOBEL, C. F. CAMPBELL, Jr.

